Home UK English ere

Meaning of ere in English:

ere

Pronunciation /ɛː/

Translate ere into Spanish

conjunction

literary, archaic

  • Before in time.

    ‘I was driven for some half mile ere we stopped’
    • ‘ere anything great had been accomplished, Edward directed his course towards the African coast’

preposition

literary, archaic

  • Before (a specified time)

    ‘we hope you will return ere long’
    • ‘Henri reluctantly agreed, wanting to return to his home ere it was evening, and urged his sister to hurry.’
    • ‘He stopped, but ere long, he continued to tap the carriage floor with the heels of his polished black shoes.’
    • ‘We do love the places we come from, and we ‘love that well which [we] must leave ere long.’’
    • ‘But the stream will ere long be left the clearer for that.’
    • ‘Being in daily touch with a lot of abattoirs, I feel that the supplies of cattle are starting to dwindle and that demand will improve ere long.’
    • ‘You'll be hearing the Brockovich name around the place ere long.’

Origin

Old English ǣr, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch eer and German eher.